WSWS-Thailand expels thousands of B

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Subject: WSWS-Thailand expels thousands of Burmese immigrant workers

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Thailand expels thousands of Burmese immigrant workers
By Sarath Kumara
7 December 1999
Last month Thai authorities began to accelerate the expulsion of =
thousands of Burmese immigrant workers, particularly in the Mae Sot =
district on the Thai-Burma border. In the mid-1990s the area became a =
centre for clothing manufacture, fruit orchards and associated =
canneries, with investment attracted by a supply of ample cheap labour =
from Burma. Some 100 factories, previously employing about 70,000 =
"illegal" Burmese workers, were in operation.

The Thai government deployed around 2,000 personnel, including =
policemen, soldiers, immigration and labour officials, to round up and =
drive out Burmese "illegals" from Mae Sot. Workers were herded onto =
large trucks, driven to unguarded border crossings and ordered to leave. =
According to a Reuters report in mid-November, "Their departure has left =
factories, nearby farms and streets of a town where the Burmese language =
was as commonly heard as Thai, all but deserted."

Hundreds of Burmese workers reportedly fled into the jungle, without =
adequate food, shelter or protection, in order to avoid being deported. =
At least two instances have been recorded of Thai farmers killing =
workers after mistaking them for thieves.

Workers, many of them young women, found themselves pawns in the =
tensions between Thailand and Burma that led to the Burmese military =
junta closing the border on October 1. On November 3, three Thai =
passenger boats were turned back after they attempted to unload hundreds =
of workers at the Burmese border town of Myawaddy, opposite Mae Sot. =
Burmese troops threatened to shoot anyone who stepped out of the craft, =
on the grounds that anti-government groups might be among them.

In spite of this, the Thai attempts at repatriation continued. Hundreds =
of workers were left stranded on sandbars and islets in the middle of =
the Moei River, which forms the border of the two countries. At least =
eight people, including a child, drowned while trying to swim back to =
Thailand.

Kachadpai Burusapatana, the secretary-general of the Thai National =
Security Council, dismissed media reports that young women forced over =
the border had been raped by Burmese troops with the callous declaration =
that, as the incidents were occurring on Burmese territory, the matter =
was out of Thailand's hands.

The Thai government's declared aim is to expel some one million foreign =
workers, of which an estimated 600,000 are Burmese. During the Asian =
economic boom, Thailand allowed employers in 18 industries to hire =
immigrant workers, to offset labour shortages. These industries included =
fisheries, garments, rubber plantations and orchards, rice mills and =
construction. Employers were permitted to pay "foreign workers" wages as =
low as 50-90 baht per day, far less than the minimum wage of around 130 =
baht per day. The immigrants were not entitled to welfare or medical =
benefits. Employers actively encouraged hundreds of thousands of workers =
from neighbouring countries to come into Thailand, while authorities =
turned a blind eye to that fact large numbers did so without official =
permits or visas.

The situation changed rapidly in 1997. The value of the Thai currency =
fell 42.9 percent against the US dollar in less than six months. =
According to Asian Development Outlook 1999, the Thai economy, which =
enjoyed a 5.5 percent growth in 1996, contracted by 0.4 percent in 1997 =
and 8.0 percent in 1998. Official unemployment soared to close to two =
million as thousands of small and medium-sized firms went bankrupt and =
larger corporations carried out heavy layoffs.

Foreign workers have been one of the first sections of the working class =
to pay for the crisis. Both the government and the media have sought to =
divert anger at the growth of unemployment into a campaign against =
immigrants. Articles in the press attributed the spread of drugs, AIDS =
and other diseases like elephantiasis to Burmese workers. Police =
spokesmen claim that illegal immigrants are responsible for rising crime =
levels. The campaign to drive out foreign workers was backed by an array =
of draconian punishments, with "illegals" and their employers facing =
massive fines and possible imprisonment. Around 300,000 workers from =
Burma, Laos and Cambodia were forced out of Thailand last year.

The only opposition to the mass deportations has come from Thai =
businesses whose operations have been disrupted by the loss of cheap =
labour. Speaking on their behalf, the Bangkok Post, in an editorial on =
November 5, wrote: "Thailand in all likelihood will continue to need =
foreign labour for some time yet... industries along the border, in =
particular construction, fisheries, transport and manufacturing, are now =
dependent on Burmese labour. And even though the economic crisis has =
thrown thousands of Thais out of work, it seems there are not the local =
people to replace the foreign labour. Most of the work is labour =
intensive and low paying... The authorities simply will not be able to =
replace the illegal labour."

Chinese businessmen from Taiwan and Hong Kong, who have combined =
investment of more than one billion baht in Thailand, were major =
employers of Burmese workers. Investors are said to be considering =
shifting their production to countries like Indonesia, South Africa, =
Madagascar and even to Burma itself to take advantage of even cheaper =
sources of labour.


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<H2><FONT color=3D#ff0000 size=3D4>Thailand expels thousands of Burmese =
immigrant=20
workers</FONT></H2>
<H5>By Sarath Kumara<BR>7 December 1999</H5>
<P>Last month Thai authorities began to accelerate the expulsion of =
thousands of=20
Burmese immigrant workers, particularly in the Mae Sot district on the=20
Thai-Burma border. In the mid-1990s the area became a centre for =
clothing=20
manufacture, fruit orchards and associated canneries, with investment =
attracted=20
by a supply of ample cheap labour from Burma. Some 100 factories, =
previously=20
employing about 70,000 &#8220;illegal&#8221; Burmese workers, were in =
operation.</P>
<P>The Thai government deployed around 2,000 personnel, including =
policemen,=20
soldiers, immigration and labour officials, to round up and drive out =
Burmese=20
&#8220;illegals&#8221; from Mae Sot. Workers were herded onto large =
trucks, driven to=20
unguarded border crossings and ordered to leave. According to a Reuters =
report=20
in mid-November, &#8220;Their departure has left factories, nearby farms =
and streets=20
of a town where the Burmese language was as commonly heard as Thai, all =
but=20
deserted.&#8221;</P>
<P>Hundreds of Burmese workers reportedly fled into the jungle, without =
adequate=20
food, shelter or protection, in order to avoid being deported. At least =
two=20
instances have been recorded of Thai farmers killing workers after =
mistaking=20
them for thieves.</P>
<P>Workers, many of them young women, found themselves pawns in the =
tensions=20
between Thailand and Burma that led to the Burmese military junta =
closing the=20
border on October 1. On November 3, three Thai passenger boats were =
turned back=20
after they attempted to unload hundreds of workers at the Burmese border =
town of=20
Myawaddy, opposite Mae Sot. Burmese troops threatened to shoot anyone =
who=20
stepped out of the craft, on the grounds that anti-government groups =
might be=20
among them.</P>
<P>In spite of this, the Thai attempts at repatriation continued. =
Hundreds of=20
workers were left stranded on sandbars and islets in the middle of the =
Moei=20
River, which forms the border of the two countries. At least eight =
people,=20
including a child, drowned while trying to swim back to Thailand.</P>
<P>Kachadpai Burusapatana, the secretary-general of the Thai National =
Security=20
Council, dismissed media reports that young women forced over the border =
had=20
been raped by Burmese troops with the callous declaration that, as the =
incidents=20
were occurring on Burmese territory, the matter was out of Thailand's =
hands.</P>
<P>The Thai government's declared aim is to expel some one million =
foreign=20
workers, of which an estimated 600,000 are Burmese. During the Asian =
economic=20
boom, Thailand allowed employers in 18 industries to hire immigrant =
workers, to=20
offset labour shortages. These industries included fisheries, garments, =
rubber=20
plantations and orchards, rice mills and construction. Employers were =
permitted=20
to pay &#8220;foreign workers&#8221; wages as low as 50-90 baht per day, =
far less than the=20
minimum wage of around 130 baht per day. The immigrants were not =
entitled to=20
welfare or medical benefits. Employers actively encouraged hundreds of =
thousands=20
of workers from neighbouring countries to come into Thailand, while =
authorities=20
turned a blind eye to that fact large numbers did so without official =
permits or=20
visas.</P>
<P>The situation changed rapidly in 1997. The value of the Thai currency =
fell=20
42.9 percent against the US dollar in less than six months. According to =

<I>Asian Development Outlook 1999</I>, the Thai economy, which enjoyed a =
5.5=20
percent growth in 1996, contracted by 0.4 percent in 1997 and 8.0 =
percent in=20
1998. Official unemployment soared to close to two million as thousands =
of small=20
and medium-sized firms went bankrupt and larger corporations carried out =
heavy=20
layoffs.</P>
<P>Foreign workers have been one of the first sections of the working =
class to=20
pay for the crisis. Both the government and the media have sought to =
divert=20
anger at the growth of unemployment into a campaign against immigrants. =
Articles=20
in the press attributed the spread of drugs, AIDS and other diseases =
like=20
elephantiasis to Burmese workers. Police spokesmen claim that illegal =
immigrants=20
are responsible for rising crime levels. The campaign to drive out =
foreign=20
workers was backed by an array of draconian punishments, with =
&#8220;illegals&#8221; and=20
their employers facing massive fines and possible imprisonment. Around =
300,000=20
workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia were forced out of Thailand last =
year.</P>
<P>The only opposition to the mass deportations has come from Thai =
businesses=20
whose operations have been disrupted by the loss of cheap labour. =
Speaking on=20
their behalf, the <I>Bangkok Post</I>, in an editorial on November 5, =
wrote:=20
&#8220;Thailand in all likelihood will continue to need foreign labour =
for some time=20
yet... industries along the border, in particular construction, =
fisheries,=20
transport and manufacturing, are now dependent on Burmese labour. And =
even=20
though the economic crisis has thrown thousands of Thais out of work, it =
seems=20
there are not the local people to replace the foreign labour. Most of =
the work=20
is labour intensive and low paying... The authorities simply will not be =
able to=20
replace the illegal labour.&#8221;</P>
<P>Chinese businessmen from Taiwan and Hong Kong, who have combined =
investment=20
of more than one billion baht in Thailand, were major employers of =
Burmese=20
workers. Investors are said to be considering shifting their production =
to=20
countries like Indonesia, South Africa, Madagascar and even to Burma =
itself to=20
take advantage of even cheaper sources of =
labour.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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